Follow County Commandant Kang to Serve Our Sovereign and Country!
Kang Dabao snatched the silk scroll from Luo Heng's hand, examined it closely for a while, and then his gaze softened. He spat at Luo Heng on the ground before handing it to Tie Xishan.
After the latter eagerly took it, he also let out a long breath and cursed at Luo Heng on the ground, "You bastard!"
Seeing that Luo Heng's injuries were too severe, and fearing that he might die and be implicated, Tie Xishan suppressed the urge to hit him, rushed in front of Qian Liu, and slapped the guy hard across the face.
Qian Liu saw that Luo Heng's breath was red, so he didn't dare to dodge and took the slap squarely.
Even though Tie Xishan's cultivation level was much lower than his, Qian Liu was still knocked into the air and flipped several times before landing on the ground.
Qian Liu was indeed in a sorry state, but his injuries weren't serious at all. It was just that a late-stage cultivator had been humiliated by an early-stage cultivator, which made him lose face somewhat.
But what face does Qian Liu, who's willing to be a son-in-law without any official status, have? At least he's appeased Tie Xishan's anger now, so those scouts won't catch up and stab him to death.
Kang Dabao threw Luo Heng next to Qian Liu so that he could bandage his wounds.
Pingrong County has just lost a county magistrate; they can't afford to lose another one anytime soon. If they attract the attention of the higher-ups, it won't do Sect Leader Kang Da any good.
As for offending Huo Bing, that old Foundation Establishment, Kang Dabao decided to drag Tie Xishan into it as well. He had a strong backer, and that Commander Tie was clearly a capable fighter, enough to keep our Governor Huo in check.
"What 'one out of three cultivators'? This Sima Fei is so considerate of our Pingrong County, which has just experienced turmoil. Originally, he only ordered us to send fifty cultivators, but he made it clear that they must be elite soldiers, not Rogue Cultivator make up the numbers. What a coward!"
Tie Xishan watched as Luo Heng was fed a few pills by Qian Liu and was able to breathe again, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Anyone with eyes to see knows that none of these people can die. As long as no one dies, it's just a minor disturbance by the lower-ups and won't damage the reputation of the Immortal Dynasty.
"The Luo family of Blackwood Fort can produce one out of three cultivators, making ten people in total." Kang Dabao mentioned this, and Luo Heng heard it clearly, but only raised his eyelids slightly, not daring to utter a single stammer.
As a son-in-law living with his wife's family, he was so terrified by the sight of Kang Dabao's gleaming silver mace that he had no time to care about the fate of his own relatives.
"The Grass Witch Cult, the Hemu Dao, and the Fellow Cultivators Association each send ten people," Tie Xishan nodded in agreement and then spoke.
These three entities were listed at the very beginning of the tax register in Pingrong County, having already been registered with the prefectural government.
Since Sima Fei has made it clear that he wants elite troops, then to save face for the old man, these three families certainly cannot avoid sending people; this is the least they can do out of courtesy.
"Now we're still short ten people," Kang Dabao muttered for a moment. "If only the Iron Sword Sect were still around."
However, since it's Sect Leader Kang Da's serving as the county magistrate, Chongming Sect definitely won't need to send anyone this time; otherwise, wouldn't that position be meaningless?
Even Xie Fu's single official document could summon over a hundred cultivators to fight for him. Now that Kang Dabao holds the imperial sword issued by the state court, why would he worry about not being able to recruit these ten people?
The only worry is that Sima Fei's document specifically requires each county to send at least one chief official to lead the team. That old fellow Sun Bingdou will definitely use the matter of assisting Tanggu County in mining Spirit Stone as an excuse to shirk responsibility. It looks like Luo Heng's injuries will take at least three to five years to heal.
As for Tie Xishan, firstly, his cultivation level is too low, not like a "soldier," Sima Fei would probably really be furious if he saw him;
Secondly, according to regulations, if the county magistrate cannot lead the troops, the military affairs of the expedition should indeed fall to Kang Dabao, the county lieutenant. It would be difficult for Tie Xishan, the clerk with powerful connections, to take the lead. Even if he asked, he would be refused. It would be better for him to take the lead directly and do a favor.
Thirdly, Sect Leader Kang Da still needs Commander Tie behind him to quell the anger of that old Foundation Establishment cultivator, Huo Bing.
"Phew, I guess I'll have to risk my life again." Thinking of this, Sect Leader Kang Da smiled nonchalantly, pointed at Tie Xishan and Luo Heng, and Tie Xishan nodded, indicating that he understood.
As for who to recruit, it's quite simple: whoever has a bad relationship with the Sect Leader Kang Da will have to follow the county magistrate of Kang family to serve the emperor and the country.
Qian Liu before us, is one such example. He is a cultivator in the Late Qi Refinement, and even in a poor and remote place like Pingrong County, he is a figure of importance. He should follow County Magistrate Kang to serve the country and the emperor.
Kang Dabao bid farewell to Tie Xishan and obtained the team of Demon Correction Office soldiers from the latter. The group headed towards Chongming Market to find the remaining nine.
"Hey, I need to ask you about a few people."
Upon arriving at Chongming Market, Sect Leader Kang Da walked effortlessly into the general store run by the one-eyed shopkeeper surnamed Ye. The giant sitting behind the counter lowered his eyelids but remained silent.
"Don't worry, you won't be short of Spirit Stone this time." Kang Dabao handed over five spirit Spirit Stone brimming with spiritual energy and a note.
The giant looked somewhat surprised, but remained silent, instead reaching out to collect both the Spirit Stone and the note.
"Kang Da County Lieutenant hasn't been in office for long, yet he's actually here to rid us common folk of evil?" The giant sneered gloatingly, glancing over the names on the list one by one. Those who caught his eye were all somewhat notorious Evil Cultivator from the vicinity of Linghe Market, their Daoist cultivation quite formidable, not characters ordinary people could afford to offend.
"They've ruined my business before. This time, Prefect Sima Fei specifically requested that I go into battle. If I go, I might not come back alive. They can't have it easy. They have to come with me to serve the country and be loyal to the emperor." Kang Dabao grinned, revealing his white teeth, and put on a seemingly honest smile.
"That amount of Spirit Stone isn't enough." Upon hearing this news, the giant frowned slightly in alarm. Then, he pretended to be nonchalant, picked up his silver abacus, and spoke in a drawn-out tone, adopting an air of superiority.
"I don't seem to have enough Spirit Stone, but it's simple. Shopkeeper Ye, would you like to follow me to serve the country and the emperor?" Kang Dabao's smile widened as he pointed to the group of Demon Correction Office officers standing outside the shop.
The giant suddenly fell silent, his brows smoothed out, and a smile bloomed on his face.
He honestly bent down, took a piece of silk cloth from the table, rolled up his sleeves, and a neat and elegant small regular script appeared on it.
Sect Leader Kang Da wasn't in a hurry. He waited patiently by the side, strolling around the room at his leisure. Finally, he selected some tea from the tea shelf and brewed himself a pot of fine tea.
The giant raised his eyebrows slightly, and with a third more force, he gripped the pen in his hand. "That's a golden eyebrow tip that costs eight Spirit Stones to brew! You big oaf, do you have a tongue?"
"Wow, they actually hid it in these places." After a short while, Kang Dabao took the silk cloth, glanced at it, and then quickly led his men out of the shop.
"It's getting late. I'll come back to patronize your business another day. Goodbye."
The giant man watched Kang Dabao's departing figure, sighed, and returned to his dimly lit general store, remaining silent for a long time.
Thank you to the brothers who rolled around in the snow, Ah La Gu, and the last knight of the Daoist temple for their monthly tickets.
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(The Chinese national football team has qualified! I'm so excited!)